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Friday, February 4, 2011“And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in Thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”
-Numbers 11:15
Depression. It’s something that nearly everybody faces at some point in their lifetime, and is very much responsible for destroying countless marriages, families, friendships, and even churches. It has found its way into the lives of believers across the world, often leaving them unfruitful in their service to the Lord and, in many ways, miserable. Though not a disease, depression is highly contagious and has many “side-effects” that negatively impact, not only the lives of those who experience it, but also the lives of their friends and family. Like a giant hole waiting to swallow up its victims, depression is hard to dig yourself out of of once you’ve fallen into it.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
We see from verses like these that there is an appropriate time for most of the emotions we humans encounter. This means that sadness itself is not a sin when kept in check by the Word of God (see Romans 12:15; John 11:35). Depression is different, however, and usually extends our grief far longer than is necessary or appropriate, leaving us enveloped in a terrible state of self-pity and mental anguish. While hard times are certainly an unavoidable part of life (John 16:33), the joy of the Lord (something that cannot coexist with depression) is meant to last even through the worst of circumstances.
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”-Philippians 4:4
The world should easily be able to identify true Christians by the spiritual fruit that they bear (Matthew 7:16), and one of the most noticeable fruits in our life, according to Galatians 5:22, should be that of a joyful spirit. In other words, a lack of joy in your life could potentially ruin your testimony with the world by giving them the impression that Christianity makes one miserable and depressed. On the other hand, one who is truly aware of their salvation and the many blessings God has given them, will radiate a joy so apparent that even the the worst of critics won’t be able to ignore it. How is your attitude influencing those around you?
Depression Turned Upside Down
5 comments:
Hey Dakota,
What a good and timely word today. The idea of grace overpowering depression, of joy overtaking depression.
These are great reminders. I talk to ladies daily who are so sad and can't seem to beat it. My prayer is that many will become over comers instead of "under-comers."
You have reminded me too, that I need to bask in the grace and the joy of Jesus - no matter what is going on.
Blessings to you today,
Melanie
We can find a great example of this in the book of Job. Job had everything, and all that was taken away from him in a short time. His possession were taken, his children killed, his wife deserted him, and the few friends he had were there to accuse him.
In Job 19, Job tells all of this, but concludes with, in verses 25 and 26 "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God."
What a tremendous show of the faith that he has in God, that even though all these bad things were happening him, he still trusted that God would fulfill that which he has promised to him!
Dakota,
Certainly the joy of the Lord is our best defense against what Bunyon called the "slough of despond". Good post.
...Marsha
Thanks for the post, Dakota. I guess I have to say that I think there is a depression that Christians feel which doesn't necessarily eliminate our joy. This is a great article by R.C. Sproul: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/dark-night-soul/. I respect your comment moderation - you don't need to allow this one - but wanted to see what you thought of this article. Thanks! :)
Thanks for the article, Alex! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and chose to publish your comment so others can check it out as well and get a more balanced idea of how Christians should handle depression.
Like you said, I believe there is a type of depression we will all face from time to time. As I mentioned in my post, though, the type of depression I think Christians should avoid is allowing their grief to be extended longer than is really necessary. Unfortunately, I've known people who were "down in the dumps" for years on end over something that God was more than willing to give them victory over, and it was that type of depression I had in mind when I wrote my post.
Thanks for stopping by!
In Christ,
Dakota
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